Internet speeds are showing improvement

Mexico is not generally known for breathtaking internet speeds, but indications are that the situation is improving.

Data gathered by the streaming media company Netflix not only indicates which fixed broadband internet providers are offering the best speeds, but shows an increase in speeds in the last year.

The company’s monthly index measures the download speeds of subscribers during a three-hour period when its audience numbers are highest.

In Mexico, Totalplay led the pack of internet providers in September with a speed of 3.81 megabits per second, followed by Axtel Xtreme with 3.57 Mbps and Telmex Infinitum with 3.39.

In general, the numbers were up over September 2016. Axtel Xtremo, which had the highest speed last year, gained slightly but the other providers saw significant increases.

Totalplay and Telmex Infinitum both moved up from 2.81 Mpbs.

On the mobile side, speed and other factors are also improving, reports OpenSignal, a company that gathers data on wireless coverage.

It also says that AT&T, a relative newcomer to the Mexican market, is in a close race against Telcel for download speeds. Measurements obtained over the summer show the United States-based telecommunications giant has pulled into a tie for 4G speeds, although Telcel is in the lead for availability, giving users access to LTE connections 76.4% of the time, up from 69.4% six months ago.

Third-place Movistar saw its network improve but it fell further behind AT&T and Telcel in the metrics tested by Open Signal.

One significant finding was that Mexico enjoys 4G speeds that are among the fastest in Latin America, and faster than the U.S. Mexico’s national average LTE download speed was 22.4 Mbps, faster than any other country in Latin America apart from Ecuador, and well over the typical 15 Mbps experienced by consumers in the U.S.

For 3G download speeds in Mexico, AT&T led with 4.39 Mbps, well ahead of Telcel’s 2.96, and its overall speed of 14.28 Mbps was much higher than the 9.23 recorded by Telcel users.

OpenSignal collects its data from smartphone users who have download the company’s mobile application. For the October report, it collected data from 111,584 users in June, July and August.

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